Two Can Keep a Secret

by Karen M McManus

Paperback, 2019

Status

Checked out

Due 13-04-2024

Call number

813.6

Genres

Young Adult

All Topics

Fiction

Publication

PENGUIN UK (2019)

Description

While true-crime afficionado Ellery and her twin brother are staying with their grandmother in a Vermont community known for murder, a new friend goes missing and Ellery may be next.

User reviews

LibraryThing member jenn88

Ellery and her twin brother, Ezra, have heard all about the small town their mother grew up in and was desperate to escape from, but they've never been there. Their aunt went missing when she was seventeen. And five years ago, a homecoming queen was murdered there. Now they have to live in this

town with a grandmother they hardly know. As soon as they arrive, bad things begin to happen. And another girl goes missing. It seems to Ellery that everyone in the small town of Echo Ridge is hiding something, and most people aren't good at keeping secrets.

I loved One of Us Is Lying so I couldn't wait to get my hands on this one. I devoured this book. It was so easy to get lost in the story and I could not turn the pages fast enough. Very suspenseful, full of twists and turns. I thought I had everything figured out but I was quite happy when I learned I was totally wrong. This was just so fun to read, it was always one thing after another but it never felt like it was too much or that things were crazy just for the sake of being crazy. I loved it SO MUCH!

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LibraryThing member Ray_

I am not impessed.

The only thing this book managed to do was to get the Pretty Little Liars theme song stuck in my head.

I started this book hoping for a good YA with a good mystery and thrill elements plus all the fluffiness that can be found in all books featuring teenagers, but I was a bit let

down.
It wasn't a bad book per say, nor did it have bad characters.
In fact, I absolutely loved the characters of this book. Ellery, Ezra, Malcolm and Mia were great characters, I liked each one of them individually and loved their dynamic in their newly formed friendship.
I liked Ellery and being in her mind that was always seeking answers; I also loved how she didn't end up discovering the truth behind everything despite how invested with the whole thing she was

Despite having great characters and being a very light read, I had issues with this book because it felt like it had an amazing premise but didn't really end up living up to it.
Yes the general plot was quite interesting, but as I was reading, I felt quite disconnected from the whole thing. I felt no tension, no thrill, no real sense of danger.
Even when Ellery and Malcolm were about to die I was pretty meh about it becuase I figured they'd be saved in the last minute. I just felt no real threat throughout the whole thing.
Even Brooke's body being discovered did not come as a shock to me, I was very meh with that too!!

I don't know if it's just me; like, maybe I wasn't in the right mood to read this book, but it just didn't do it for me.

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LibraryThing member Sharn

I could go to a lower rating (2) but I'm not sure it's any fault of the book, but of my own. This was a YA (problem 1) mystery (problem 2) with many many many layers and secrets (as the title tells you). I'm not a huge of fan of straight up mysteries of who did what when and at what time. There's

always so much to keep track as the author tries to confuse you when you're never given all the answers until the end anyway. And I'm too old to read about teens. I will become more vigilant in making sure it's not a YA mystery.

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LibraryThing member Cherylk

I have not read this author's prior novel, One of Us is Lying. Yet, I did not feel like it would have improved my reading experience with this book. To be honest, I felt that this book was truly geared towards the younger adult reading audience. Not that there is anything wrong with that as the

book was written for this audience. It is just that a lot of ya books are written with the mindset that older readers will be reading these books too.

I agree with another reader that there were a lot of characters introduced right away. My issue with keeping them apart was that they kind of all blended together. They popular girls were like one unit and mind. There was not one person that I liked in this book. Try as I might I can barely remember anything about this book. Sadly, I don't think I will be reading the prior novel anytime soon.

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LibraryThing member fred_mouse

I loved McManus' debut novel 'One of us is lying', and was really pleased to see another book from her. This one suffers from being a second book more than anything -- it is just a bit rushed, the characters are just a bit less relatable than those in the first, the plot is just a tad off at times.

And most of these things are ones that I probably wouldn't have noticed to the same level if I hadn't loved the first one so much.

Another issue for me is that this story spends the whole time hinting that the next shoe is going to drop. At the beginning of the story there are two murdered young women, but both of these deaths are in the past. There is also a death early on, but it doesn't match the pattern; that plus deliberate plot elements wind up the feeling that someone is going to die, and that the protagonist is going to end up in some kind of trouble.

It does manage to be one of those lovely 'in a small town, everyone has secrets' stories. And unlike, say, many Agatha Christie novels, I actually found a lot of those secrets to be quite plausible.

Sadly, it doesn't manage to avoid some of the tropes of the serial killer sub-genre, in which dead young women are arranged as props. This is particularly noticeable because all the viewpoint characters were closely linked to one of the two dead. The young women might not be there for the main male character's emotional arc, but there are certainly echoes of that type of writing.

In terms of content warnings - it needs them, but they are also spoilers for the story.

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LibraryThing member ShellyPYA

While true-crime afficionado Ellery and her twin brother are staying with their grandmother in a Vermont community known for murder, a new friend goes missing and Ellery may be next.

LibraryThing member bookworm12

A high school student and her twin brother move in with their grandma when their mom is sent to rehab. When another student goes missing, the town is a buzz with memories of two other girls who went missing years before. I was a bit disappointed in this one. It felt predictable and having one of

the characters obsessed with true crime felt like a distraction rather than a plot point. I really loved the author’s first book, One of Us Is Lying, and would highly recommend it.

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LibraryThing member HeatherLINC

While I thoroughly enjoyed the author's debut, "One of Us is Lying", I didn't find "Two Can Keep a Secret" as exciting as her first. The pace was slow, the suspense weaker and the plot a bit repetitive. Also, I didn't connect with any of the characters, except Malcolm, unlike the characters in "One

of Us is Lying". Overall, I found them to be rather unremarkable and boring.

McManus has an easy writing style and her continual red herrings kept me going. Echo Ridge was definitely a creepy little town and the perfect setting for a serial killer. Throughout the book, I think I suspected nearly everyone living in Echo Ridge, except for the twins' Nana. Although the ending was disappointing, the last line of the book was perfect. "Two Can Keep a Secret" was a solid little murder mystery that kept me guessing until the end.

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LibraryThing member VavaViolet

This is the second book by this author that I've read. I finished it over the weekend and, like her first book, I enjoyed the many twists and turns. It's not as fast-paced as One of Us Is Lying imho, but it's more unpredictable and thus, surprising. I love Ellery and Malcolm, they are the type of

characters you'd root for. And that last line, it gave me chills. I can't wait to get my hands on One of Us Is Next. I'm officially a Karen McManus fan. I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.

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LibraryThing member Susan.Macura

Ellery and her twin brother Ezra temporarily move to their mother's hometown to stay with their grandmother while their mother is in a rehab program. The town has a history, one where their mother's twin sister disappeared years ago and where a high school student was found murdered in the local

amusement park. The thing they had in common was the role of homecoming queen. More mysterious events occur when Ellery and Ezra move to town, making this a highly entertaining read. Everyone had secrets, which is so true to small towns, so discovering what they are and why they came to be keeps the story lines moving.

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LibraryThing member lflareads

‪Bravo, @writerkmc! I just finished and Wow-just Wow! You did not disappoint! Although I thought I had it figured out multiple times, you still managed to surprise! My 7th graders cannot wait to get their hands on Two Can Keep a Secret on Monday! #TwoCanKeepASecret #7thgrade ‬#middleschoolela

LibraryThing member khal_khaleesi

(This review will be on my blog All the Ups and Downs soon.)

When I read about Karen M. McManus' new book Two Can Keep a Secret, I added it to the top of my to read list. I loved her previous book One of Us is Lying, so I figured her new book would be just as good. Luckily, Ms. McManus did not let

me down.

The synopsis of Two Can Keep a Secret really drew me in. I enjoyed they mystery behind who had killed the first homecoming queen, Lacey, and who was responsible for the current missing homecoming queen nominee as well as the mystery surrounding Ellery's and Ezra's aunt Sarah. Every time I thought I had figured out who the culprit was, another spanner was thrown into the works, and I would suspect someone else. This book definitely kept me guessing throughout, and I was wrong about who was responsible. The plot twist are great, and I can't say that I ever saw any of the plot twists coming.

The pacing starts out slow up until Chapter 14, and I found myself wondering if I had made a mistake with reading Two Can Keep a Secret. Once I got to Chapter 14, the pacing picked up, and I found myself fully immersed in what was happening. Not once did the pacing become too slow again. I couldn't wait to find out what would happen next.

The characters in Two Can Keep a Secret were all believable and fully fleshed out although I would have liked to know more about Sarah. There was some closure to Sarah's disappearance, but I felt like more information would have been nice. My favorite characters were Malcolm, Ellery, and Katrin. I loved watching Malcolm's and Ellery's relationship bloom. There was just something about Kartin that I really liked. I also liked the character of Brooke.

Trigger warnings for Two Can Keep a Secret include some underage drinking, profanities, some sexual innuendos, violence, attempted murder, and murder.

Overall, Two Can Keep a Secret isn't as good as One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus. However, it's still a great read. It has some great plot twists and well written characters. I would definitely recommend Two Can Keep a Secret by Karen M. McManus to those aged 16 who love a good mystery.
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(A special thank you to Delacorte Press for providing me with a hardback of Two Can Keep a Secret by Karen M. McManus in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.)

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LibraryThing member thereserose5

Eh 3.5 starts probably. I think there could have been more character development, but the plot of the book was surprising and kept me interested!

LibraryThing member purple_pisces22

I really like the writing style of Karen McManus. I also like how her books move along at a nice pace. She doesn’t mess around! The storyline may not be completely unique, but the way it’s done makes it seem new and different.

LibraryThing member Vanessa_Menezes

This book, like One of Us Is Lying, is amazing. The story is good with lot of twists and turns which kept me hooked right from the first page till the end.

I loved Ellery and her obsession to solve anything that comes her way. I just wish there was more about her twin Ezra too. But that's just my

opinion!!

Overall a good read :)

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LibraryThing member Islam_A

I could not believe the ending!!!!!

LibraryThing member fionaanne

After enjoying One of Us is Lying so thoroughly, I found this novel a tedious disappointment.

LibraryThing member rmarcin

I read Karen M. McManus's first book and was excited to read her second novel. This one follows some high school students in a small town, Echo Ridge, VT. The town has known tragedy multiple times. First, Sarah Corcoran goes missing, then Lacey is found dead, and now there is a threat for a 3rd

girl to go missing.
Malcolm has recently moved with his mother to a big house, since Malcolm's mom has remarried, to the town's successful lawyer, Peter. Peter's daughter, Katrin, is one of the most popular girls at school. She is part of a trio-Katrin, Brooke, and Viv.
Malcolm's older brother, Declan, has been under suspicion for the murder of Lacey, but never charged. Malcolm doesn't know what to think. His only friend is Mia, an edgy girl in his class. Two new teens arrive in town - Ellery and Ezra Corcoran, who are twins, and the niece and nephew of the missing Sarah. Sadie (their mother) and Sarah are twins, and Sadie isn't able to bring herself to talk to her children about Sarah. Sadie is in rehab, so the twins were sent to live with their grandmother. The teens, Malcolm, the twins, and Mia, become friends and try to tackle the mystery of the missing girls.
I suspected the killer pretty early on, but wasn't prepared for the explosive last page. Wow. I also wasn't sure about the vandal, and why, but it made sense.
I am looking forward to more from Ms. McManus!
#TwoCanKeepASecret #KarenMMcManus

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LibraryThing member clp412

This is a great YA mystery. I enjoyed the perspective of high schoolers and it was well done. This is the second book I have read by Karen McManus and I highly recommend her books!

LibraryThing member Sheila1957

Ellery and Ezra move from California to Vermont to live with their grandmother, Nana, while their mother is in rehab. Nana lives only a short distance from the Fright Farm theme park, formerly known as Murderland, where 5 years ago, the homecoming queen was found dead. 20 years earlier, Ellery and

Ezra's aunt disappeared on homecoming night. Now Ellery is on the ballot for homecoming queen and threats are being received telling everyone Murderland, Part 2 is coming. Now another girl on the ballot for homecoming is missing. Is history repeating itself? Is it the original killer? Is it a copycat?

There are so many twists and turns in this book. Ellery and Ezra become friends with Malcolm whose brother was the boyfriend of the girl murdered five years earlier. The town turned against him. He is now back in town. Ellery is into true crime and shares her theories of the past and the current happenings with Malcolm. I'm not saying whether she's right or wrong. Malcolm's stepsister, Katrine, is the girl expected to be this year's homecoming queen. Ellery has questions about Malcolm especially since he was the last person to see the missing girl.

I liked Malcolm, Ellery, and Ezra. I also liked Mia, Malcolm's friend. I did not like Katrine and her group. I liked Nana's worry about Ellery and homecoming. It was interesting how no one talked about Ellery's aunt, Sarah. The mystery was so good. I needed Ellery to show me the way to the murderer. I was shocked, especially with one of the last sentences in the book.

This book is worth the read. It is so good!

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